Respected Industry Leader Takes Up Reins as Methven UK CEO [NZ]
Methven UK has a new CEO, Steve Lee, the former chairman and chief executive of Bristan, the largest UK tapware supplier and previous head of the UK Bathroom Manufacturers Association.
Download Steve Lee Announcement to NZX 26 Oct 2010.pdf
In announcing the appointment, Methven Group Managing Director, Rick Fala said that Steve Lee had a track record in growing businesses, particularly in front-end sales and marketing areas, developing high performing leadership teams and implementing change management.
“Steve brings us greater capability to contribute to and execute our strategy to turn-around our UK performance and replicate the success we have had with our premium, proprietary products in Australia. He is a proven leader in the UK tap and showerware industry and shares our confidence that Methven’s premium, differentiated strategy will work in the UK and Europe,” Mr Fala said.
Mr Lee will take over on 1 November 2010 from Rob Pryde who resigned to pursue other opportunities. “What has attracted me back to a hands on CEO role is the total commitment to design innovation that I’ve found in Methven. Methven demonstrates thinking in bathroom design that I have not seen before and I am keen to be part of the transformation. Their user-centred approach, resulting in products like Satinjet, de-chlorination showers and HomeSpa shower infusions, has captured my imagination,” Mr Lee said. “I believe that together with my knowledge and experience in the UK bathroom industry and Methven’s design innovations, we can take the UK market to a totally new level.”
Mr Lee said that the difficult operating conditions the Methven UK operation was facing was “due largely to the tough UK economic conditions that have existed since 2008 and is much the same for everyone in the Industry”.
“I intend to focus on promoting those products in the Methven stable that have unique points of difference that the end-users and installer base will want. But in addition, we have developed a great value brand in Deva and with the right strategies can become a UK market leader in the value
segment.”
Methven has experience in migrating its Australian commodity and value business to becoming a premium market leading bathroom entity where it has rapidly grown market share and established Satinjet as the preferred choice of shower by discerning consumers.
Methven Australia CEO and newly appointed Group Chief Operating Officer, Matt Crichton, is currently in the UK working with Steve and the team there on the strategy to transition the company to a high value, high return business.
Background on Steve Lee Mr Lee has over 25 years’ senior experience in bathroomware. He joined Bristan in 1991 and played a significant role in growing the business after leading a management buyout in 1997. Under his direction Bristan grew from an eight-person business to become the leading player in the tapware market.
He led the sale of the business to US plumbing giant Masco in 2002, staying on as CEO while steering it through a merger with Masco brands including Heritage and Gummers to create the Bristan Group, of which he became chairman in 2008. He has also been president of the UK Bathroom Manufacturers Association and is a Member of the Institute of Directors.
